Wilsons Promontory is Victoria’s favourite National Park and it is pretty much booked out on weekends and peak periods all year round. We thought we’d sneak in mid-week just before Easter while the weather was still good and re-acquaint ourselves with the beautiful beaches and walks. The last time we’d visited was over 12 years ago and nothing much had changed – except the Visitor Information Centre was being completely rebuilt so there was a bit of construction mess and noise.The usual plethora of parrots welcomed us in, nosy wombats scratched around our feet at dinner time, lizards scuttled in the bushes and there was evidence of echidnas too.

Wilson’s Prom became a National Park in 1898 (before Australia became a nation!) when it was still quite difficult to access. The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria and the Royal Society of Victoria proposed it become a NP to protect endangered ocean migrant birds, the heathland orchids, the tall forests and a host of animals.

Wilsons Prom has quite unique flora and rock as it is part of a chain of granite islands that stretch across Bass Strait to Tasmania. Around 20,000 years ago, towards the end of the last ice age when sea levels were much lower, these granite islands were the peaks of the last land bridge between the mainland and Tasmania. There are still a number of plants to be found at the Prom, such as Crimson Berry that really belong in Tasmania.

We enjoyed beautiful sunrise and sunset walks on Norman’s beach and we took the picturesque walk around to Squeaky beach to walk barefoot in the gloriously squeaky white sand, paddle in the shallows and caress the red lichen covered granite boulders at both ends of the beach. It is easy to see why this beach has won number 1 beach in Australia many times! Pics of Squeaky beach up top!

The forecast was for thunderstorms, but we only got a small amount of rain on our stay and lots of lovely sunshine and pretty clouds. We stayed in 4^th avenue in the main section near the Visitors Info centre which I would not recommend as it is the busiest area and the longest walk to Norman’s beach (although a short walk to the footbridge and the walk to Squeaky beach). We found the area behind Ramp 4 of Norman’s beach on 34^th avenue would be where we’d book next time. Be warned there are always lots of school camps at the Prom, big family groups and at Xmas and Easter it is packed solid. So come prepared to enjoy what nature has to offer here – but with lots of others too!